Audit Reveals $150 Million Shelter Investment Plagued by Safety Risks, Discrimination, and Mismanagement
A recent Denver Auditor’s Office audit found that Denver’s shelters do not adequately ensure guests’ safety and routinely ignore nondiscrimination rules in their contracts despite receiving about $150 million from the city over the last four years.
The audit’s findings push back against the popular narrative that many homeless people in Denver and across the country are unwilling to accept services or help. Instead, findings show that many shelters lack the critical infrastructure to ensure their guests are safe during their stay, which is one of the main reasons why homeless people avoid shelters to begin with.
“[The Department of] Housing Stability’s poor organization is negatively affecting operations at Denver’s shelters,” Denver auditor Timothy O’Brien said in a press release. “These issues need to be addressed because vulnerable populations are at risk.”